Classic Cilbir Breakfast (Printable Version)

Silky poached eggs atop garlicky yogurt with rich spiced brown butter for a cozy Turkish brunch.

# What You Need:

→ Yogurt Base

01 - 1 cup plain Greek yogurt, full-fat (8 fl oz)
02 - 1 small clove garlic, finely minced
03 - 1/4 teaspoon sea salt

→ Eggs

04 - 4 large eggs
05 - 1 tablespoon white vinegar
06 - Pinch of salt

→ Spiced Brown Butter

07 - 3 tablespoons unsalted butter (43 g)
08 - 1 teaspoon Aleppo pepper
09 - 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin (optional)

→ To Serve

10 - 1 tablespoon fresh dill, chopped
11 - 2 slices crusty bread or pide, optional

# Step-by-Step Directions:

01 - Combine Greek yogurt, minced garlic, and sea salt in a bowl until smooth. Spread evenly onto two shallow serving plates and set aside at room temperature.
02 - Fill a medium saucepan with about 7.5 cm (3 inches) of water, add vinegar and a pinch of salt, and bring to a gentle simmer, ensuring it does not boil vigorously.
03 - Crack each egg into a small bowl. Stir the simmering water to create a gentle vortex and gently slide eggs into the water one at a time. Poach for 2 to 3 minutes until whites are set but yolks remain soft. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.
04 - Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook until it foams and turns golden brown with a nutty aroma, approximately 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in Aleppo pepper and cumin if using.
05 - Place two poached eggs atop the yogurt on each plate. Generously drizzle with the spiced brown butter, garnish with fresh dill, and serve immediately. Accompany with crusty bread if desired.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • Those runny yolks become your sauce, mixing with the cool yogurt and spiced butter into something almost silky without any cream involved.
  • It comes together in 20 minutes but tastes like you've been cooking all morning.
  • The contrast of temperatures and textures—warm eggs and butter over cool, tangy yogurt—keeps it interesting from first bite to last.
02 -
  • The vinegar in the poaching water is non-negotiable—it keeps the whites from feathering, so don't skip it or use lemon juice instead, which tastes wrong in the water anyway.
  • Brown butter can tip from golden and nutty to burnt and bitter in about 30 seconds, so watch it like you mean it, and pull it off heat the moment it smells toasted, not when it looks dark enough.
  • Full-fat yogurt is worth the splurge here because low-fat versions taste thin and sour in comparison, and this dish deserves the real thing.
03 -
  • If your Aleppo pepper is hard to find, make the substitution, but taste your spiced butter as you go—paprika and chili flakes burn faster than Aleppo pepper does, so add them off heat and let them cool for a breath before tasting.
  • Cilbir works just as well at lunch or dinner as it does at breakfast, and there's something quietly rebellious about eating eggs and yogurt at five in the evening when the rest of the world is eating something savory.
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